Merkel meets federal heads as Germany tries to go green

Euronews

Despite a failed attempt to generate the whole country’s energy needs using only renewable sources on Monday, the government is determined to make Germany eighty percent green by 2050.

The country broke the world record by producing 22 gigawatts of electricity using solar panels last week. That amount is the equivalent of 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity.

Last year, renewable sources accounted for nearly 20 percent of Germany’s energy. Chancellor Angela Merkel has been meeting federal leaders to discuss how to improve the figure. Negotiations included infrastructure projects and cuts to green funding.

Following the nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima last year, Germany closed down eight plants immediately and plans to end nuclear power in 10 years.

However, the country’s energy distribution network will need to be updated in order to make renewable sources cheaper.

Germans pay about four billions euro per year for solar power on top of their electricity bills.